A new analytical technique is proposed which will provide direct molecular identification of gas mixture components. The method is based on a fundamental physical property of atoms and molecules, the ionization potential, and relies on the measurement of the energy of electrons liberated by Penning Ionization in a gas discharge. Penning Ionization is the same process used in MID detectors and the advanced Helium IMS developed by PCP Inc. and Ames Research Center. However, the proposed approach rather than simply counting the number of ions or electrons produced by Penning Ionization, will measure the energy of the electrons produced. Since the ionization energy is specific to each molecular species, the resultant data can be used to directly identify each component. No optics or ultrahigh vacuum are required. The technical simplicity of this method of this method and its capability to directly identify most known species with high sensitivity make it an ideal candidate for analytical flight instrumentation.The principal result of the proposed effort will be the development of a compact, robust and simple analytical device suitable for application as an advanced detector for Gas Chromatography and as a portable stand-alone analyzer.
